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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27213709">Such A Perfect Night (To Spend Alone With You)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilecourageuse/pseuds/etoilecourageuse'>etoilecourageuse</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Worst Witch (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cats, F/F, Familiars, Halloween, Hecate Hardbroom Has Emotions, Implied Femslash, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Samhain, Soul Bond, Trick or Treat 2020, Trick or Treat: Treat, Vulnerability, Vulnerable Hardbroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:21:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27213709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilecourageuse/pseuds/etoilecourageuse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Halloween. The word alone drives a shiver down Hecate's spine. It's All Hallows’ Eve, for the Great Wizard’s sake!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle &amp; Hardbroom, Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle/Hardbroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Trick or Treat Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Such A Perfect Night (To Spend Alone With You)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomlistener/gifts">phantomlistener</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Halloween, phantomlistener! I really hope that you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing for you -  I love Hecate so much, and I love her so, so much with Ada, this was a true delight to come up with. Happy Trick or Treat!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Halloween.</i> It was a shame what it had become. There was so much more to Halloween than a fun little party for the children after dinner with horribly loud music and too much sugar, as… <i>entertaining</i> as those evenings would often turn out to be, even for the better part of the staff as it appeared, much to Hecate Hardbroom’s displeasure. </p>
<p>But who was left to honour the ancient traditions of their foremothers and fathers? Who was left, besides her, to practise the rituals of Samhain that plenty of their spells and potions were based on — a fact that even her colleagues often liked to forget about when getting lost in their preparations for the feast — and study its history? </p>
<p>Hecate, who would rather spend a year studying… <i>modern</i> magic at Pentangle’s than admit her own emotions to anyone but herself (or Ada, if she tricked her into it as she so loved to do), often felt quite lonely the further October proceeded, gathering ingredients for her prayers after nightfall, supervising the girls decorating the school with such eagerness she had not once seen them display in their studies, or even listening to Miss Bat’s attempts to compose new chants just for this particular night. It seemed unreal to her, superficial and… And wrong. Morgana seemed to be her only companion during this sacred time, but in a way, Hecate had come to accept that she would always be alone for Samhain. </p>
<p>Halloween. The word alone would drive a shiver down her spine. It was All Hallows’ Eve, for the Great Wizard’s sake! Ada would often adjure her to show patience, to open herself up to the celebrations and to enjoy herself, one belief did not exclude the other, but it was difficult to find joy in something so important to her, turned into something so shallow. The formal robes and hats, Hecate insisted on appropriate attire at the very least, only barely helped keep up the image and spirit, but at least it was some kind of a start. A little nudge in the right direction, perhaps, even though it would still be a long, long way to go. </p>
<p>Thank the Gods above for curfews. It was only a small silver lining, but even the most unruly celebration would have to come to an end by the girls’ bedtime, and Hecate was glad for it — certainly, seeing the girls’ eyes sparkle with excitement about the feast was, as Ada in her eternal optimism would express it, <i>endearing</i>, yet so very, very exhausting… And she needed to preserve her strength for the night. </p>
<p>The little shrine in her chamber would serve her well once more, as Hollow Wood was barely an option to venture into,  but Hecate had always been perfectly all right working with what she was presented with, not with what was ideal. </p>
<p>Morgana appeared to sense her tension as she leapt gracefully into her lap and curled into a tiny ball of fur, purring gently as though to tell her that everything would be all right. She would not move but ceased to purr as three knocks resonated against the door that soon after opened with a quiet creaking noise. Ada never waited to be asked in. </p>
<p>"Will you stop hiding in your room like a pouting child, Hecate?" she asked with that gentle smile of hers that would often drive Hecate near insanity. "I know what this day means to you, but let the children be children and have fun or a night… They will learn about our traditions soon enough."</p>
<p>Hecate wouldn’t argue with her, not tonight. Instead, she merely sighed, briefly snipping her fingers to conjure the fine porcelain from her small cupboard. "Tea, Ada?"</p>
<p>"With pleasure," said Ada, making herself comfortable upon her bed, briefly ruffling Morgana’s fur. "She’s unusually affectionate these days, isn’t she?"</p>
<p>"Well, she knows that I need her," replied Hecate briefly, pouring her own cup of tea now, not without a nervous glance around the room… Why could she not get rid of the feeling that she had forgotten about something crucial…?</p>
<p>"Elder."</p>
<p>"Pardon me?"</p>
<p>"That’s what you’re missing. Elder branches," Ada chuckled, taking a small sip. "But not to worry, I shall bring them tonight after the girls go to bed, there are plenty left in my drawer."</p>
<p>Hecate nearly choked on her tea, could barely believe her ears… Hadn’t she, so very secretly, wished for this day to come, wished for the most important person in her life to join her prayers, to celebrate this sacred night with her, but never dared to ask, too afraid of rejection, hadn’t she…? </p>
<p>Once again, Ada seemed to know perfectly well what she was thinking about, as though she was reading her mind in this very instant, yet choosing to let it pass without comment, much to her relief. </p>
<p>"Come on now," she said then, putting down her cup and placing a nearly playful kiss upon her cheek, a gesture that caused Hecate to sigh with disdain. Oh, how she <i>hated</i> it when she did such a thing…! How she… loved…  "The girls are waiting, and Gwendolyn is so very eager to present her new chant to us all."</p>
<p>"It is not like I have a choice, is it, Ada?" asked Hecate, her lips curling into an ever-so-slight smile as she rose from her seat. She knew that she did not. But perhaps, in anticipation of the night to come, the feast would for the first time be... <i>nearly</i> enjoyable, after all.</p>
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